Making it Together
by J.C. Lynn
Summary: Bella tragically died when her heart failed, hours after Remesmee's birth. Now Edward must raise Nessie on her own. This takes place after the Volturi encounter! Lots of challenges as Edward tackles being a single father and Nessie deals with not having a mother.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've wanted to do this for so long because honestly, there are very few Twilight fanfictions that go this way! If you enjoy, let me know with a review! More to come!**

**Summary: Bella tragically died when her heart failed, hours after Remesmee's birth. Now Edward must raise Nessie on her own. This takes place after the Volturi encounter! Lots of challenges as Edward tackles being a single father and Nessie deals with not having a mother.**

I knew I would be caught. I mean, there was never any possibility of it ending any other way. So when I walked through the cottage door to find Daddy glaring at me, it only confirmed my doom. I knew I shouldn't have sneaked out to see Jacob and then he hadn't even been there. Ugh.

"Daddy I-" I began to explain but stopped short when he raised a lone finger.

"Go to your room, Renesmee. Change BACK into your pajamas and I'll be there in a few minutes," he directed and I hung my small head, ashamed, and began to walk towards the hall.

When I was almost past him, I stopped. I had a dilemma. I had managed to change into a small winter dress but even then I was pretty sure there were several buttons in the back unbuttoned as my fingers were still a little small and hard to maneuver. Daddy walked in front of me and got down on a knee and asked softly,

"Would you like some help with your pajamas?"

"Please, Daddy?" I asked peeking up at him. His eyes didn't seem so angry anymore.

"Of course, baby girl." He scooped me into his arms and carried me into my pretty white bedroom where my Minnie Mouse pajamas sat on my purple canopy bed. He sat me down on the floor and helped me out of the dress and sure enough, there were four buttons on the dress and I'd only buttoned two. He put me in my pajamas and then he sat down on my bed, pulling me into his lap.

I started to cry. "Daddy, I'm so sorry! I missed Jake cause he's been on patrol all week! I woke up and you weren't here so...I left. I wanted to see him but he wasn't there and I was so scared in the woods by myself. It was dark and there were noises and I-I-I'm so sorry!" Tears streamed freely down my face and he held me tighter.

"Hush, baby girl. I know you miss Jake but you know better than to run off by yourself. Can you imagine how I felt when I went out for no less than five minutes and when I come back I see you approaching the house in that dress? I don't even understand how you got past me because I could still see almost the entire house in sight. Did you climb out your window?"

"Yeah."

He sighed. "What am I gonna do with you? I still give you your baths in the mornings and help you dress and yet you think you can handle being out at night by yourself."

"I don't anymore Daddy. It was scary." The tears were starting up again.

"Baby, don't cry. I know it's scary, that's why you don't go out on your own. You know what you did was wrong, though. You went outside, without my permission and in the middle of the night, no less. I suppose it's time for my girls very first punishment."

I hid my face in his shoulder. "Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry."

"Hey, look at me, please," he said softly and I raised my eyes to his. "I know you're sorry and you're forgiven."

"I am?" My heart soared.

"Of course, baby girl. I will ALWAYS forgive you when you make a mistake but there will still be consequences for your actions. As of now, you are grounded to the cottage till Monday. That's four days and that means you stay in this house at all times unless there's an emergency and you are not to use any technology of any kind, understand? No TV, computer, Kindle, or house phone."

I gave a small sigh but I was not going to complain. I knew what I did was wrong and thoughtless so I nodded.

"Good girl." He then patted my back before laying me down and tucking me into bed. He leaned over and kissed my forehead and murmured softly, "Sleep well, baby girl. Daddy loves you."

"I love you too, Daddy," I said with a small smile but as he made his way to the door my heart leapt a little. After how scared I'd been in the woods, I didn't want to be alone. "Daddy?" I called after him and he turned.

"Yes, baby girl?" I knew he knew exactly what I wanted but I said it aloud anyway,

"Will you stay with me?"

He smiled. "Of course." He walked towards the bed and laid down next to me. "Sleep now, Nessie."

I closed my eyes and snuggled close to him, finally drifting off peacefully.

I smiled when I awoke in the morning to find Daddy still there.

"Good morning, baby girl," he murmured.

"'Morning, Daddy," I said cheerfully.

"You sound happy. Come on, we've got to get you bathed and dressed before breakfast. Jasper will be here at ten for your lessons," he informed.

My Uncle Jasper taught me most things, history, math, English, science, and various subjects such as that. Sometimes though, I would skip our lessons for other things. Daddy teaches me all about music, Grandpa Carlisle teaches me all sorts of medical things and helps me with my writing, Grandma Esme has been teaching me about foods and gardening, Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosalie help me with fashion, and Uncle Emmett helps me learn about sports and video games mostly.

"Okay Daddy. I hope he tells me more about Europe today. It sounds magical!" I exclaimed as I sat up.

He chuckled. "I'm sure he will. Now, lets pick out your outfit and get you in the bath." Because I was unfortunately not leaving the house, I picked out a small pair of black capris and my favorite Tinker Bell shirt before Daddy helped me take a bath. Once I was dressed we made our way to the baby blue kitchen area and he helped me onto a black stool at the kitchen isle.

"What would you like for breakfast Nessie?" Daddy asked.

"Waffles?"

"Sure thing, baby girl."

"Thank you, Daddy.". He made me some yummy waffles and a glass of orange juice with a side of sausage. As I ate, he sat down next to me to talk.

"Nessie, while Jasper's here today, I'm gonna go out hunting, alright? I want you to be on your best behavior while I'm gone. Now, I told Jasper that you were grounded and I don't want you to give him any trouble about it. Understand?"

'Yes, Daddy,' I answered in my head as my mouth was full.

"Good girl. He's gonna take good care of you until I get back."

"I know, Daddy. I like Uncle Jasper. How long will you be gone?" I asked.

"Sometime tomorrow afternoon, baby girl," he responded softly.

I frowned. "But I'll miss you!"

"I'll miss you, too but it won't be so bad and tomorrow, Jacob's gonna come visit." He smiled, knowing I'd be excited by that.

"Really?" I practically jumped out of my seat as he cleared my plate.

"Mhm. Apparently my little girl misses her friend so much, it's driven her to thoughtless actions," he teased as he picked me up. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face.

"I'm sorry," I muttered guiltily.

He gently stroked my hair. "Shh, it's alright, baby girl, but I don't condone what you did and I don't ever want it to happen again," he said sternly.

"I know, Daddy. It won't," I promised, peeking up at him.

He smiled. "Good girl. Why don't you go get the book Jasper gave you to read?" He suggested as he sat me down. I nodded and ran off to my bedroom. A few days ago Uncle Jasper had lent me Necropolis: London and Its Dead By Catharine Arnold.

When I came back to the living room, Uncle Jasper was there in all his golden curled glory. I ran up to give me a hug and he caught me in his arms and lifted me up to him.

"Hey, Renesmee."

"Hi, Uncle Jazz."

"Here, give me my baby girl," Daddy said and Jasper hand me to him. Daddy kissed my forehead. "I'm gonna miss you, sweetie. You gonna be okay while I'm gone?"

I nodded. "I'll be fine and I'll miss you too, Daddy."

"I'll be back before you know it. I love you, baby girl."

"I love you too, Daddy." I hugged him tight before he sat me down.

I sighed, I was gonna miss my Daddy. And my television.


	2. Chapter 2

"So Renesmee, what did you think of the book I gave you to read?" Jasper asked as we were sitting on the couch together. He had brought his usual brown satchel with him and I had out a pencil and a notebook.

I answered honestly, "It was alright but it was a little under my level and I didn't like the way the book did not stick to the cemeteries and wandered off onto the life of a few of the dead."

He furrowed his brow. "I thought the change might help keep you concentrated on the book."

I shook my head. "Now you're underestimating my attention span."

He chuckled. "I apologize. You do realize your just over one years old, don't you?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" I demanded.

He sighed. "You can't tie your shoe but you can read a book that should be years above your knowledge. It's mind-boggling."

I defended, "It's not that I can't tie my shoe, just that my fingers being so small makes it difficult."

He chuckled once more. "Fair enough," he conceded. "I thought today we might focus on mathematics."

"Aw," I moaned, "No Europe?"

"Well, if you pay close attention to the lesson, then when it's over, I'll tell you about about the story of William and Mary, alright?" He bargained.

"Alright," I agreed with a smile.

The math for today was mostly Calculus jargon but I picked it up easy enough. After teaching me anything new, such as a theory, he would have me practice once or twice before moving on. Before I knew it, it was twelve o'clock and he was telling me the story of how William the third and Mary the second became King and Queen of the British monarch as he made me grilled cheese for lunch.

I ate the grilled cheese with a cut up apple and peanut butter and a glass of milk. After this Uncle Jasper declared,

"It's nap time, Nessie." Darn, Daddy must have told him I take my naps right after lunch.

"But I'm not even tired!" I complained fussily.

"Don't argue with me Nessie. Now, your dad said you could take your nap on the couch if you wanted but you have to take a nap after lunch," he said sternly. "You can either be good and take your nap on the couch or fuss about it and be sent to your room."

Darn. "Fine," I conceded. "I'll take a nap on the couch."

"Good girl. Go grab your blanket and come lay down."

I grabbed my blanket from my bedroom and returned to see Uncle Jasper sitting on one end of the couch. I laid down on the couch, covering myself with the blanket and using his leg as a pillow. He stroked my hair.

"Rest, sweet little Nessie," he murmured and soon I found myself yawning and drifting to sleep.

_Momma's face covered in sweat, her cheekbones protruding against her skin. Blood everywhere. Daddy handed me to Momma and she whispered,_

_"So beautiful." Over come with desire for blood, I bit into Momma's breast. She cried out and Daddy snatched me away._

_Aunt Rose held me most the time. She was sweet and liked to brush my hair. She laughed a lot. Jake was there all the time, too. _

_He had been there when Aunt Rose carried me away from Momma. He seemed angry then and sad. He wasn't sad anymore. He was happy and he liked to hold me and call me Nessie. I like to bite him. He makes a funny face when I do. _

_Everybody else is there too and they're saying lots of things. I'm trying to take in all the words and learn what they mean. I want to know it all. I want to be smart for Momma._

_Daddy brought me into Grandpa's office. Momma was on a slab. All clean and so pretty and yet so still. Nothing from her but a quick heartbeat. He sat down next to her._

_"This is your Momma, Renesmee. Isn't she beautiful? You look just like_ _her," Daddy said to me. "Bella? Can you hear me? Our daughters perfect. You did so good."_

_Momma's eyes shot open. They were red and bloodshot. Her fists clenched tight and she groaned in pain._

_"Perfect," she said with almost no breath. "Momma loves you," she mouthed and then looked to Daddy. "Take care of her. I love you both." She then shrieked in pain and convulsed before her body slammed itself back onto the slab. Her eyes closed and her heart came to a stop._

_"NO," Daddy roared and everyone was in the room in a flash. Aunt Rose tore me away from Daddy. Daddy grabbed Momma's face. "Bella, no. Please, please, no. Bella!"_

_"Oh no," Aunt Alice whispered, horrified. Aunt Rose took me out of the room and the last thing I saw was every one crowded around Daddy, who was on his knees, head in his hands crying out over and over,_

_"Bella, Bella, Bella, sweet Bella..."_

"Nessie! Nessie, wake up!" I heard Uncle Jasper scream.

_Bella, sweet Bella._

"Ness! Nessie!"

_My Bella,_ _sweet Bella, I love you Bella._

"Renesmee, please!" I heard a desperate Uncle Jasper call and my eyes popped open. I was sitting in his lap, him holding and rocking me.

"Jazzy?" I cried out, my face soaked with tears. I felt a wave of calm engulf me but the tears still came.

"Oh, Nessie, sweetie. Shh, I'm here. I'm so glad your awake." He must have been watching my dreams. Everyone did.

Despite the calm, my heart ached. "I want Daddy!" I sobbed.

"I know, sweetie but he's not here. It's alright, please relax." He sounded grave.

I begged for the next best thing. "I want Jakey!" Uncle Jasper was throwing waves of calm at me but, while helpful, they couldn't work miracles.

"Shh, I'll try." He pulled out his cell phone, dialed, and put it to his ear. "Jacob, Nessie needs you."

"What? What happened?" I heard his deep voice and my heart constricted, more tears fell loose. I wanted him here! I could hear him take off running.

Uncle Jasper said something so fast I didn't quite catch it through my sobs.

I heard Jake gasp. "I'll be there." Then a CLICK.

"You hear that? Jacob's coming, baby. Relax." He continued to rock me back and forth and I continued to sob inconsolably.

Finally, after what must have been an eternity, my Jake burst through the door.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jake!" I cried out and held my arms out for him. He scooped me up from Uncle Jasper and sat down next to him.

"Hey Nessie. Why all the tears?" He asked, concerned. I tried to explain but nothing but sobs came out. I put my hand on his cheek and showed him my bad dream. He gasped and then sighed. "Baby, I'm sorry. I know how awful it all was." Yeah, but he didn't kill her.

When he gasped once more I realized my hand was still on his cheek. "Ness! I want you listen really carefully now: you are NOT responsible for what happened to your mother. Nobody is. Her heart just couldn't hold on anymore. She loved you so much and she just knew you were gonna be something wonderful and you know what?" I shook my head. He whispered, "She was right."

The combination of Jacob's soothing arms and comforting words matched with uncle Jasper's waves of calm and gentle smile had me slowly calming down. Soon my tears dried up and my sobs became gentle hiccups.

"You feel a little better, Nessie?" I nodded, meekly. He frowned and gently tickled my stomach causing me to giggle involuntarily so I bent my head and gently bit his hand. Now, he smiled. "There's my Nessie. Come on, let get you cleaned up." He stood and carried me to the kitchen where he sat me down on the counter and grabbed a rag to wet under the sink water. He used the wet rag to gently wipe my face, neck, and hands. Once he was finished he declared, "There. All fresh and clean again. Feel better now?"

I nodded and found my voice, "Yeah, Jakey."

He smiled again. "Good. Now, how about we all do something fun?"

I thought about it for a minute. "Will you help me color a jumbo picture for Daddy?"

He chuckled. "Sure, sounds great. Right, Jasper?"

Jasper raised his eyebrows and slowly nodded. "Right."

I smiled and jumped of the counter. "Okay! I'll be right back." Jumbo Coloring Book, that I keep in my closet, is about 3 feet long and 2 feet wide and is full of all sorts of things. I flipped gently through the pages for the picture of a large lion in the middle of a jungle, standing on top of a huge rock. I gently pulled it out of the coloring book, careful not to rip it and grabbed my Crayola Crayon Tower and ran back into the living room, feeling better by the second.

"Oh that is a huge piece of paper," Jasper commented and Jake chuckled.

"Come on Nessie, lets lay it out on the floor here."

Jacob helped me sit on the floor in front of the couch while Jasper moved the glass coffee table out of the way.

"I wanna color it all so I can give it to Daddy tomorrow," I informed and when I saw Uncle Jasper zoom at the crayons I added, "At human speed."

So we colored. And colored. There was a lot of detail and I wanted to make it really pretty. Somewhere along the way a pizza was ordered and when when we finished the page, some hours later, I was sitting in Jacob's lap, barely awake.

"Mhm, we finished," I murmured. Jacob pulled himself onto the couch, bringing me with him, and spread out.

"That's right, Nessie, sweetie. It's beautiful," he practically whispered and within a few seconds we were both asleep.

_I was running through the forest. It was the middle of the day but I could barely see the sun. I wasn't sure where or why I was running but it was making me feel tired and achy which was strange because running never did that. How long had I been running? It felt like I'd been running a really long time. My feet and my legs were sore but above all my heart was aching. I felt so sad. There were tears stained on my face and I felt like something was missing. There was something screaming at me, telling me something or someone should be there. When I saw Jake up ahead I felt better instantly. I ran to him and he picked me up and I felt better all the sudden. I felt fresh and happy and the scream lessened but it remained. It stayed as a small whisper telling me something was off._

"I can't believe they're still asleep. I am never gonna get her to sleep tonight," I heard a voice say exasperatedly. Daddy?

"Well, I'd say that coloring page pretty well tired their minds."

"That was so sweet of her. I'm just glad to be home with her." Daddy! I snapped awake and blinked a few times, quickly looking around the room to find Daddy and Uncle Jasper talking by the door.

"Daddy!" I climbed off of Jake.

"Aw, there's my Nessie!" He exclaimed, coming over and lifting me into his arms.

"I missed you, Daddy!" I cheered.

He held me tight. "I missed you too, baby girl. I saw the picture you colored for me. I think it's beautiful, Nessie."

I smiled. "You do? Uncle Jasper and Jacob helped a lot."

He chuckled. "I heard. It looks like you tired Jacob out," he said. I looked back at Jacob and saw he was now sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, sleepy head," I teased. I felt really good now that Daddy was back home.

"Hey, Ness. Erg, what time is it?" He asked groggily.

"A little past noon," answered Daddy.

Jacob shot up. "Noon?" He asked, alarmed. "Crap, I have to go." He came over and quickly gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you very soon, Nessie. Love you."

"Love you too," I said giggling as he ran out the door.

"I should probably be going as well," Uncle Jasper said.

"Miss Alice?" I asked with a smile. He nodded and winked making me giggle again.

Daddy rolled his eyes. "Alright, see you later."

I beamed at Uncle Jasper. "I love you Uncle Jasper."

He smiled. "Love you too, Renesmee," he murmured and the. He was gone.

"I'm very glad to be back Renesmee," Daddy said, seeming relaxed.

I rested my head on his shoulder. "I'm very glad you're home too Daddy. Yesterday was sad," I admitted honestly though I didn't particularly want to talk about what happened during and after my nap.

He sighed. "Baby girl, I know you don't want to talk about it but I kind we really need to."

I shook my head. "No," I whined. "I don't wanna."

"Nessie, we have to. Here, lets sit down."


	4. Chapter 4

"What is there to talk about? I had a bad dream," I replied softly.

"From what I've heard, it was a very bad dream. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you," he apologized.

I shrugged. "It's okay. Jacob came over."

He nodded. "I'm glad he did."

It was quiet for a moment and I found myself blurting, "Why don't you hate me?"

He raised his eyebrows, shocked. "Why would I hate you?"

I spilled, "Why wouldn't you? I-I killed, I k-" I stopped when he shushed me and pulled me closer.

"Hush, Nessie. You did not kill anyone. You understand me? What happened to...Bella...was tragic and one of the hardest things I've ever been through but I survived it and I'm so glad that I did. You know why?" I shook my head. "Because your my daughter and I love you and I want to be here for you. I don't want to miss a single moment of your life. You're an amazing little girl and you don't even know it," he soothed.

I searched his face for any insincerity but I couldn't find any. I put my head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Daddy, but sometimes you go away and I miss you and I think about Momma, I just get extra sad," I admitted.

"I know, baby girl. How about this? Next time, we can go hunting together. Sound good?"

I smiled a little. "Sounds good."

"Okay. So, are you hungry? Do you want me to make you breakfast? Or lunch, I suppose, at this point," he asked.

"Lunch, please."

He chuckled. "Alright, then."

We spent the rest of the weekend together, resting and coloring and playing with my favorite Disney Princess dolls. When Monday rolled around though, Daddy took me to the big house early in the morning. The family had graduated from Forks High and the town thought that they had moved away to Los Angeles and because there home was on the outside of Forks, very close to Portland, they now attended a high school there and Grandpa Carlisle worked at a health clinic there. So, Monday through Friday I spent the daytime with Grandma Esme and usually Jacob. Daddy kisses me goodbye and it's usually early so I sleep awhile more before getting up.

Once I do get up though, Grandma Esme makes me breakfast and then I help her water and weed her garden. She grows lots of different bushes and flowers. It's not long after that that Jacob comes around and brings me to La Push. Once we get there we stay inside because I'm grounded, though I'm itching to go to the beach. We hang out and talk and I watch him work in the garage. Grandpa Charlie comes by for a little while to see me which he does often and then he goes to watch a game with Billy. Once it was almost time for Daddy to come home Jacob took me home like he usually does.

After Daddy got there we went back to the cottage to settle in for the evening. This was how most weekdays went and Tuesday was just the same with the exception that that evening Daddy sat me down for one last lecture on the couch before I was released from my grounding.

"So Nessie, you know why you were being punished, don't you?" He asked.

I nodded, staring at my hands. "Because I was thoughtless and snuck out of the house in the middle of the night to see Jacob."

"That's right, baby girl. Look at me, please," he said softly. I peeked up at him. "You're never going to do that again, are you?"

"No, Daddy," I said honestly.

He smiled and pulled me onto his lap. "Okay, then. You, my baby girl, are ungrounded. What are you going to do with your freedom?" He asked, happily making me smile.

"Watch TV," I answered, reaching for the remote and sliding back onto the couch. He kissed my forehead and stood up.

"Okay, one hour before bed, Nessie."

"Yes, Daddy."

The next morning, Jacob came by extra early so he could take me to the beach. I put on my bathing suit under my clothes and we headed out but not before Daddy made me put on sunblock even though its rarely sunny. At the beach, Jacob and I sat together.

"Go on, Ness, why don't you get in the water?" He asked.

I shrugged. "It's no fun alone. Will you come with me?"

"Er," he stuttered. "I don't know about that, Ness. I don't really feel like it today."

I pouted. "Please, Jakey?"

He sighed. "How do I say no to that? Come on."

"Yay!" I cheered and he laughed. He carried me out the water and dipped me under. I came up, splashing at him. "Hey!" I screamed, giggling. I made a big splash, splashing right onto his face.

"Ah!" He yelled but he was laughing.

"Heehee, you deserved it!" The rest of the day went much like this and when it came time to get out of the water my hair was all knotted and I had sand everywhere.

On the beach Jacob covered me with a towel to dry me and said, "I better get you a bath or your dad'll kill me."

I giggled. "I doubt that but okay."

After showering and taking a shower at Billy's he took me home and I had say, it had been an awesome day. I loved not being grounded.


	5. Chapter 5

My family could not really celebrate food related holidays just as Thanksgiving (though Esme had wanted to give it a shot) and my first Christmas had not been a very big deal—everyone was focused on gathering witnesses. This Christmas though, seemed to be different. Both houses were decorated with a large, authentic trees, holly, tinsel, reindeer, and Santa Clauses. Of course, I was smart enough to know Santa Claus wasn't real but the sentiment was nice.

Daddy was teaching me to play all sorts of Christmas songs on the piano and Grandma Esme was teaching me to bake gingerbread cookies and Christmas tree-shaped sugar cookies, and homemade hot chocolate.

Shopping was interesting though, as I had a difficult time figuring out what you bought for people that could buy anything they wanted for themselves but Daddy helped me and when it came to buying Daddy's gift, Jake took me out.

When Christmas Eve rolled around, Daddy made me a special French Toast breakfast before taking me to the big house, where we would spend the night. Jacob came over to stay the night as well. Daddy and me played the piano for awhile and then later on in the evening we all got together on the couch to watch all the Christmas movies that Grandpa Carlisle had on DVD. One by one throughout the evening, everyone began to head to their bedrooms. Finally, somewhere in the middle of Home Alone, I fell asleep with my head on Daddy's leg and my feet on Jake's lap.

"Nessie, baby girl, wake up, please," I heard Daddy murmur and I felt his cool hands stroke my hair.

I groaned. "What time is it," I fussed. It felt much earlier than I usually got up.

"It's early, Nessie, but Jacob and I have a surprise for you before the others come down." I rubbed my eyes and slowly sat up, still in between them.

"A surprise?" I asked, looking back and forth between the two.

Jacob nodded and replied, "A Christmas present from the both of us."

With grace and speed, Daddy pulled a small, red, rectangular box out from under the brightly lit Christmas tree and handed it to me, saying, "Merry Christmas."

I opened the box and gasped at what I saw. It was a bracelet with two charms: a hand-carved wooden wolf, and a diamond heart.

"This was your mothers bracelet," Daddy whispered. "We want you to have it."

"A part of both of us," Jake added.

It was absolutely breathtaking and my heart swelled as a loose tear fell from my eye. I was sure this would be one of the best presents I could ever be given. I clasped on the bracelet and I was sure I would wear it all the time. I wrapped them both in a hug and before long everyone else was coming down the stairs.

After that, the room quickly became cluttered with wrapping paper. My stocking stuffers were two gift cards: one for iTunes and one for Amazon, a pocket size dictionary, and a mixed CD of some of my favorite modern songs. Amongst my gifts were dolls and more jewelry and a video game from Emmett which funny because I got him the same thing.

I got Alice and Rosalie each a new dress, Esme a new plant for her garden, Jasper a set of first edition history books that he loved, Daddy a new piano book, Carlisle a medical book, and Jacob a part he needed for his latest motorcycle.

Everyone seemed to enjoy there gifts and I loved all of mine. While everyone socialized and fiddled around with their gifts, Jacob and I loaded up on cookies and hot chocolate. It was a great Christmas and every time I glanced down at the bracelet I was filled with an overwhelming sense of love and joy and not only did I feel like I piece of my Daddy and my Jacob but I also felt like I had a piece of my Momma.

Somewhere after my 10th cookie and my 3rd cup of hot chocolate, The festivities ended and Daddy walked me balk home to the cottage at a leisurely pace. On the way he asked,

"Did you have fun?"

I nodded my head vigorously. "The best. I had lots of fun and I think everyone liked their gifts."

"They did," he assured me and then lifted up the two bags of my gifts and his that he was carrying. "Did you enjoy your gifts."

I jumped playfully over a boulder. "Yep, their great!"

He chuckled. "It's gonna be tough getting you to bed tonight, isn't it? You're pretty hyper."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I defended with a smile as we approached and entered the cottage.

"Mhm, here take your presents and I'll make you a nice dinner to balance out the sugar and then you can take a nice long long bath before bed. Okay?"

I shrugged. "I guess so." I took my things to my room and played with my new dolls and did a little online browsing while Daddy made me spaghetti. It was really delicious and when I finished eating, I took a bath and then he tucked me in but it took two chapters from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets before I was finally ready to go to sleep. A few minutes later, I heard him playing a piece on the piano from his new piano book and I fell asleep happy.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'd been playing with this idea and then it was requested by shadowhunterherondale, so here it is! A few words from Edward and an incident! I hope you enjoy and leave a review! Woo!**

Edward's P.O.V.

As Nessie slept, I stood in the living room, idly gazing out the window. This had been the first Christmas we had really been able to celebrate and while the overwhelming part of my brain was very happy with this, the back of my mind could not help but think of Bella.

My poor Bella. She had wanted so bad for Nessie to be born, even when I was against it. Never in all my thoughts had I ever envisioned Renesmee being this perfect but Bella had. Bella had known what I didn't. Before Nessie, I would have never imagined being able to go on without Bella. After her passing, for a few split moments I had even considered ending it. Going back to the Volturi to finish what I had started when I left her. Then I remembered Renesmee's face. Perfect.

Still, even with Renesmee, my grieve is strong but only when she is fast asleep did I ever let my grieve show. Over the months it began to fade slightly, but only during the Volturi incident did I really pull my 100% focus to Nessie. She was the priority, as she should be. I lost one love but I gained another, different and more bittersweet sort of love. Even when Renesmee grew older and perhaps did not need me as much as she did now, I would still be there for her. She may not always need me, but I will always need her.

My trail of thoughts were interrupted by a shift in Renesmee's dreams. They went from a happy run through a park to a crime scene. I recognized the people in the dream as characters from a crime television show that I had forbidden her to watch. I sighed unnecessarily and got to her room just in time for her to sputter awake.

"Daddy?" She called and even though I was a little upset with her over her disobedience I immediately went to comfort her when I heard the upset tone of her voice. I sat down on the bed and moved a stray hair from her face.

"I'm here, baby girl. Sh, it's okay, you're safe," I soothed. She sat up and wrapped her arms around me. I smiled and pulled her onto my lap.

"I had a bad dream," she whimpered, rubbing her eyes.

"I know, Ness, do you know why you had a bad dream?" I asked, sternly and her thoughts turned guilty.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy," she whispered, staring at her hands. She knew what she'd done wrong and she appeared genuinely sorry. She need to get more sleep and I wanted to resolve this and put it out of her mind so I pulled her close and said,

"It's okay, baby girl. No TV for you tomorrow and no more of that show, understand?" She nodded. I laid her back down on her bed, pulling the covers back over her. "Good girl. Get some sleep now, I love you," I murmured and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, too," she muttered and then she was asleep.

I smiled as I returned to my thoughts, which were now Bella-free. My little girl makes mistakes but she would always be perfect to me.

2 Months Later

Renesmee's P.O.V.

My day started just like all my others did, Daddy helped me take a bath and then I got dressed and we went over to the big house. Daddy kissed me goodbye and Esme made me cinnamon rolls. When Jacob picked me up and drove me to Billy's house he asked,

"How would you like to ride bikes with Claire today?"

I considered this. I did have a blue bicycle over here. Claire's attention span and knowledge was much much smaller than mine but I still liked her and enjoyed her company. I couldn't reach his face so I put my hand on his arm, thinking that that would be fun.

"Good. Listen though, I have to run patrol for a few hours so Quil is gonna watch you two. Is that okay?"

I was slightly disappointed that I wouldn't be with Jake but I liked Quil so I nodded and responded, "Sure," right as Quil was approaching with little brown haired Claire in his arms. Jake gave me hug, told me to be good, and left.

That day we were riding our bikes on the driveway leading to Sam's house while Quil sat on the porch watching. We had to stay on one side of the driveway though because the other side was next to a deep rocky drop off leading to the beach. I wasn't sure what a drop like that would do to me but I knew it would really hurt Claire.

Just as I thought this, I noticed Claire ride closer to the other side of the driveway. It wasn't much of a big deal and Quil didn't seem to mind but then she began to loose control of the bike. I looked to Quil and saw him stand and then looked to Clarie as she lost control and I could see where the bike was going. In the less than a second it took for me to realize Quil wouldn't get there in time I leapt off my bike, paying little attention to the chain becoming wrapped around my ankle and used one had to push Claire, as gently as I could manage, into the opposite direction.

In turn, I wasn't able to stop myself from falling head first down the drop off. In just a few seconds I felt the rocks scrape against my skin and my head land painfully onto one. I skidded down the rest of the way and tried to stop myself but when one of my arms grasped at a rock, I felt a sharp sting in my wrist and I fell the rest of the way down. I cried out and saw Quill come running with Claire crying in one arm.

He bent down next to me. "Are you okay, Ness?"

I suddenly began to sob, pain over coming me. He scooped me into his other arm while I cried about the pain in my body. Quil ran, running into Jacob who he told the story to immediately. Jacob took me from Quil ordering to him,

"Call Carlisle, tell him to meet us at his house."

With that he ran to his dad's truck and drove me to home. On the way I tried to calm myself and breathe through the pain. For the first time I was able to examine the damage. It seemed like my wrist was broken, along with my ankle, and when I touched my head, blood was what was left on my fingers.

When we got home, Carlisle was waiting and he took me into his office. By this time, the initial pain had dulled a little. He examined my wrist and my ankle and declared they were extremely fractured, if not broken. He cleaned the cut on my head but it was healing substantially. He put a bandage on it and told me that at that rate it may be gone tomorrow. My wrist and ankle pain had subsided even more. I told him this and he reexamined them.

"It's remarkable," he murmured. "They're healing quite quickly. It reminds me of the werewolves healing process. I still need to wrap them and you'll need to keep them as still as possible for awhile but at this rate it may only be a couple of days till they heal right up." He wrapped my wrist and ankle and then he let Jacob in who carried me to a spare room where there was a large bed he laid me down on.

"You're dad'll be here in a few minutes, Ness," he informed gently and I nodded, yawning. He sat down next to me and stroked my cheek. "I'm very proud of how brave you were today, though I hope you never have to be so brave again," he said gruffly and I smiled shyly.

"Thanks," I replied and I knew I was blushing.

He laughed. "Why don't you get some rest, Nessie? I'll be back in with your dad to check on you soon, okay?"

I nodded and I began to drift to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

No P.O.V.

"But Jakey, my foot feels fine!" Nessie whined as she and Jake sat together on the couch, watching TV. Ever since her Edward left she had spent her energy trying to get Jake to take her outside to play.

"Nessie, I'm glad you're feeling better but you still have to take it easy today," Jake reasoned.

Nessie huffed. "Fine." She crossed her arms and stared ahead at the TV. Of course, this silent treatment only lasted a few minutes and then she was back pestering Jake.

"Come on, Jake! Just for a minute," she begged.

"Ness, you know your dad said you couldn't go outside."

"He doesn't have to know."

"It's my job to take care of you while he's gone and make sure you follow his rules which means you cannot go outside," Jake responded, his voice becoming firm.

"Jakey...come on!" She moaned. Jake sighed and patted his lap, gesturing for her to come sit. She huffed once more but went to sit on his lap.

"Now, Nessie, I want you to listen to me. You think of me as a friend, right?" He asked.

"Of course," she replied immediately. "You're my best friend."

He smiled and continued, "You're my best friend, too and I love that. But, I'm an adult and you, no matter how intelligent you may be, are still a kid. That means some times I have to put my foot down and tell you no."

"Is now one of those times?" Nessie asked in a small voice.

"Yes it is. You can't go outside today because you're ankle needs rest. I don't want any more arguments about it, alright?"

"Alright," Nessie conceded. "I'm sorry."

Jake embraced her. "It's fine, sweetie. How we eat a snack before Rosalie comes over and your dad gets home?"

Nessie perked up. "Okay!"

Edward came home with Rosalie a short while later and Alice was trailing behind carrying a small outfit bag. For fun, Alice and Rosalie spent the afternoon dolling up Nessie. First, they curled her hair into large poofy curls. Next, they painted her finger and toenails a bright red, which was one of Nessie's favorite colors. Then they dressed her in a loose short sleeved red dress that went to her knees with a pair of red ballet shoes. Finally, they applied a red lipstick to her lips before bringing her out to the living room to showcase her to Edward and Jake.

"What do you think?" Nessie asked.

"Doesn't she look beautiful?" Alice exclaimed.

"Well?" Rosalie demanded.

Edward smiled and knelt down to Nessie's level. "You look very pretty, baby girl."

"Thank you, Daddy," she replied shyly.

"Yeah, she looks great but was the lipstick really necessary? She's just a kid," Jake commented.

"I think it looks just fine," Alice defended. "Besides, it's not like I covered her in makeup. It's just lipstick."

"Sure, sure."

While Nessie was already in ballet shoes she took the opportunity to practice her dance skills, assisted by Alice and Rosalie. They put on a show for Edward and Jake and were thoroughly pleased when they clapped for her. When the day ended, Nessie had forgotten all about not being allowed outside.

Also, while Nessie was dancing, Jacob was playing his talk with Ness and the events beforehand in his head so Edward would hear. Edward swiftly nodded and murmured quietly,

"I'll talk to her."

'I already did,' Jake thought.

"Yes, but I think there's more to talk about." Jake shrugged, figuring Edward I we what he was doing.

Soon enough, Jacob, Alice, and Rosalie made their leave, each kissing Nessie goodbye. After she'd eaten dinner and was bathed and changed, Edward sat her on his lap on her bed.

"Baby girl, I want to talk to you about today," he informed.

"What about?" Nessie asked.

"Well, I hear you gave Jacob a bit of a hard time today," Edward explained.

"I did not!" At the sound of her voice, Edward warned,

"Nessie, watch your tone. Now, I know Jake already talked to you about needing to listen to him but we're going to talk some more about it."

"Why?" Nessie whined.

"Because I don't feel like he really covered everything. Now, just listen to me. You're an amazing child, Ness. You're brilliant, beautiful and so caring. Intellectually and physically, you're years ahead of where the average child would be but emotionally, you are right where you should be as an average child.

"While I love your free and spirited side it also makes you a bit irrational and quick to do what you want to do over what you should. That's why when and adult that's in charge of taking care of you like me, Jake, your aunts and uncles, or you grandparents tell you to do something or that you can't do something, you need to listen and do as you're told."

"I do," she defended in a whiny tone. "I always listen."

He quirked up an eyebrow. "Really? So when I told you that you were not to go outside today and you went to Jacob to convince him to let you out saying, 'he won't have to know' what was that?"

She peeked up at him guiltily. "That might have been not listening."

He smiled. "That's what I thought. When I tell you no, that's final baby girl. I don't want hear about you going to Jacob and trying to undermine my decision again."

She snuggled close to him. "Yes Daddy."

"Good girl. Now, lets get you in bed," he said and picked her up, laying her gently onto the bed before standing to pull the covers over her. "Good night, Ness. I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy."

A/N: Hmm, it would appear Nessie may be on the verge of catching a case of the terrible twos! I think I see a tantrum or two in her future. So, what do you guys think should happen if this defiance keeps up?


End file.
